Ideally, medical sample collection should be conducted so that any collected specimens are preserved as quickly as possible. Thus, in hospital, clinical or nursing home environments, sample collection is optimally conducted at a patient's bedside wherein a collected histological specimen is immediately placed within a sample container filled with a fixative agent. However, fixative agents are generally caustic or toxic chemicals and care should be taken to avoid unwanted contact. Furthermore, many fixative agents include volatile chemicals which may irritate the eyes, nose and/or throat upon exposure.
Currently, medical specimen containers may be either filled with fixative agent fluids immediately prior to use or may come pre-charged with a fixative solution. In either case, loading of the histological specimen requires a nurse or other medical technician to open the sample container to allow deposition of the tissue sample within the fluid in the container. Upon opening of the container, volatile gases within the headspace of the container may be released into the room, possibly into the face of the nurse, technician, physician and/or patient. Further, depositing the sample within the container may lead to splashing of the fixative fluid thereby increasing the chance of unwanted exposure to the hazardous fluid. An additional hazard arises should the container lid be improperly sealed to the sample container. An improperly sealed lid may lead to leaking of the fluid, and beyond the potential contact with the fixative fluid, may lead to contact with any potentially bio-hazardous material collected and stored within the container.
Thus, there is a need for a sample container which collects and stores histological samples, particularly when the container is pre-charged with a fixative fluid wherein exposure to the fixative fluid and its vapor is minimized. The present invention addresses these and other needs.